Esterline Gonçalves Género visited the Talude Militar neighbourhood today, where, according to sources from a civic movement, many residents were from Sao Tome and Principe, but also from Cabo Verde, Brazil and other countries. At the site, the diplomatic representative said he had observed a “dramatic situation that requires an urgent decision”.
‘If in the past we said it was disgraceful, today I am at a loss for words,’ said the ambassador in statements to SIC Noticias at the site, which he visited today after arriving from abroad to ‘provide whatever support possible,’ for now with tents and food to distribute to the people who remain there. However, 55 of the 64 makeshift dwellings have been demolished.
The ambassador of Sao Tome and Principe said he expected to receive notice of the plan to demolish the neighbourhood’s homes, explaining that he had tried to speak to the mayor of Loures but had not succeeded. However, according to the same statements, he had lunch on 10 July with the vice-president, at which time he considered that “he should have been informed”.
Seeing the situation now, the diplomat stressed that “it is now at the national level rather than the local authority level”. On Monday, Loures began an operation to demolish 64 illegal shacks, where 161 people lived, and the teams demolished 51 on the first day and another four on the second.
A Lisbon court issued an injunction, and the operation was suspended following a request by 14 residents. Of the 55 families who occupied the demolished shacks, 14 are receiving support from the Loures City Council, which said it had assisted 38 of the households by Friday.
According to information from the local authority, 14 additional families found alternative accommodation with relatives or friends, three declined support, and seven preferred the available solutions.
According to the latest available data, three families with five children in their care continue to receive overnight support, and ten families with 21 children in their care are receiving food aid.
Five families have managed to access the rental market, having benefited from municipal support to pay the deposit and the first month’s rent, the local authority adds.
Platform with Lusa
